Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series about the "most common" African surname in each African nation.
This post presents selected comments from a discussion thread that began on Sept. 19, 2020 in Lipstick Alley's African Forum. That discussion was prompted by articles about a map of Africa which includes a surname that purports to be the most common surname for each African nation. The commenters didn't appear to be aware that this map was part of a study of surnames throughout the world that was commissioned by Net Credit. Some of the data that was used in that research was from Forbears.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/08/an-alphabetized-list-of-african-nations.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I presents an alphabetized list of the 54 African nations with the most common last name (surname) in each of those nations.
Information about Forbears is included in that post.
An Addendum to this post presents the differences between the Forbears website data about the most common last name in each Africa nation and a November 2020 map of Africa with drawn with what was purported to be "the most common" last name in each African nation.
That map is included in several online articles about the Net Credit sponsored reseach of the most common surname in nations in Africa and in most nations throughout the world. continent.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/08/excerpts-from-2020-african-discussion.html for Part II of this pancocojams series for additional selected comments from that Lipstick Alley discussion thread. .
The content of this post is presented for onomastic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Tbanks to all those who collected this data and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
EXCERPTS FROM LIPSTICK ALLEY'S AFRICAN FORUM DISCUSSION
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
Read Part #1 of this pancocojams series for the alphabetical list of African nations with what is purported to be "the most common last name" in each nation. Although it's not indicated in this Lipstick Alley discussion, I learned by googling that that map with "the most common surnames in each nation" is part of a 2020 study that was commissioned by Net Credit and includes some Forbears data. Hoever, as indicated in Part I of this pancocojams series, the results for some of those nations aren't the same results that are given in Forbears websites. That said, some commenters in this pancocojams series, disagree with the results from that African map and also disagree with the results of the Forbears websites.
Majnukatila, Sep 19, 2020
#124
mr_gigi said:
…For those from Togo, where does Lawson come from?
****
Xoriyo, Sep 19, 2020
#133
Larue1 said:
Just as an aside for those interested in Ethiopian names.
We don't have "family names" the way you do in the West. I have a
name, the second name I use is my father's name and the final name I use is my
grandfather's name. This lets you know who I am….
"We have the exact same naming system in Somalia.
The grandfather's name is normally the cut off point for official
use. However, as children, we are expected to memorise the names of our great
grandfathers dating back generations.
This ties in with the clan system as eventually, you will
find common ancestors with other Somalis if you go back far enough.
We also keep our 'last names' when we get married as we are
still part of our father's family.
I think this is a great way of keeping track of your lineage
and family history.
Thanks"
****
bebelala, Sep 19, 2020
#142
useruseruser said:
Is Traore French?
I remember seeing a Haitian man with that last name.
****
sweetlarissa
Sep 19, 2020
#150
MicheleK said:
Cameroon but the thing is the name Ngo is particular to
only one ethnic group and is given to only young unmarried women. It's like
Miss. So that's why it is considered on their map like the most popular.
I'm from another ethnic group from the biggest (largest) region in Cameroun and we do have common names there but depending on the village it will be spelled differently so we don't really have a most common name nationally. Regionally it might be different…
"Exactly! I come from the Bamoun tribe and Ngo is definitely
not the most common surname. I think it's Njoya which is my mother's name and
the name of our current king."
****
https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/the-most-common-last-name-in-every-african-country.3928937/page-6
Amivi, Sep 19, 2020
#152
"Lawson is a common surname for Togolese people although I
don’t know many with that name. Not sure about most common though. Togo was
under French, German and British colonial rule so it’s not mind blowing to have
some English influence here and there. For exemple in ewe/mina the word church
and home are the same as in the English language although pronounced differently.
It’s the same in Benin where some Portuguese influences still can be found, lot
of Da Silva/Silveira or Goncalves walking around."
****
chaelili, Sep 19, 2020
#154
"It’s hard to say for Cameroon since there are so many ethnic
groups and it depends on the region. I grew up in Yaoundé and the most common
names around me were Mengue, Ngono, Atangana (too many Atanganas in my school
every year lol) My dad worked with many Haussas tho their most common names
were Aboubakar and Nana. I doubt these are the most common names and I’m pretty
sure other cameroonians would have a completely different perspective. This is
an interesting thread."
****
Lexus2021, Sep 19, 2020
#155
"Hmmn I agree with Ghana, Senegal and Ethiopia based on my
personal interactions. I don’t know about Nigeria though. Never met an Ibrahim
last name, but I have met a lot of Ade-ishnames, Olu-ish names, Chi-ish names,
Okoyes, Okafors, even Mohammed’s."
****
AwonOshi, Sep 19, 2020
#158
[This comment is in response to #155.]
"There are hundreds of variations of Ade, Olu and Chi names,
so no single one is common."
****
Sazzie, Sep 19, 2020
#167
"Never heard of anyone in Eritrea with the last name
"Ali", unless they're Muslim and even then, most Eritreans I know
have a traditional tigrinya last name and not a Muslim one. I don't believe this
list on that one. For the other countries I can't speak on them."
****
Sazzie, Sep 19, 2020
#168
thewaterworks said:
Yup!
For Ethiopia I would've guessed something like
Gebremariam or something beginning in Gebre"
****
Mina Michiko, Sep 19, 2020
#171
"Mohamed sounds pretty accurate for Djibouti, I have family
with that last name lol. Other common last names are Djama, Houssein, Ali,
Abdi, Ahmed, Guelleh, Moussa etc. Mostly Islamic names but also some Somali and
Afar ones mixed in"
****
Noody, Sep 19, 2020
#172
Rhaenyra Martell said:
It definitely isnt. Just because you've met more Lopes
than Silvas and Santos, doesnt make it so.
It might be that there are more Lopes' in the Diaspora, though. But in the actual country, the vast majority arent Lopes''.
"True and Tavares or Mendes would be close seconds instead of
Lopes to be honest"
****
Angelbaby999, Sep 19, 2020
#175
"Mensah is accurate for Ghana. Lol"
**
fashionmama, Sep 19, 2020
#176
Chiiii said:
It says Ibrahim for Nigeria is ancestral. Does anyone
know where it comes from/it’s history? I don’t want to sound ignorant, but is
it Hausa?
"Ibrahim is an arabic name. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was the
third son of prophet Muhammad."
****
Nkani, Sep 19, 2020
#179
Nandi Wabazulu said:
Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi are accurate af. Almost all
my friends from Malawi have the name Banda and none of them are related.
#181
"Johannes in Namibia? Sure jan."
-snip-
Sure jan is an American sarcastic phrase that means that you know that the person is lying about what they just said. Click https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sure%2C%20jan for information about this phrase.
**
Goodgyalknd, Sept. 19, 2021
#182
Nandi Wabazulu said:
Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi are accurate af. Almost all
my friends from Malawi have the name Banda and none of them are related.
"A lot of Malawians immigrated to Zimbabwe. Zambia and Malawi share tribes."
**
MicheleK, Sep 19, 2020
#187
sweetlarissa said:
Exactly! I come from the Bamoun tribe and Ngo is
definitely not the most common surname. I think it's Njoya which is my mother's
name and the name of our current king.
"Yes for you guys it is Njoya and once again it has to do
with the Sultan's family being so big also and so it kind of became the most
common name for Bamoun people."
****
MicheleK, Sep 19, 2020
#190
Nyon said:
Ndiaye seems correct for Senegal. It’s one of my
grandmothers last name.
**
Nandi Wabazulu, Sep 20, 2020
#193
F.L.O.T.U.S. said:
Dlamini is true for Swaziland because I swear half the
population is the King’s wives and children.
"We have Dlaminis in SA too lol It's a popular name in our
parts."
****
cajou, Sep 20, 2020
#194
sweetlarissa said:
Exactly! I come from the Bamoun tribe and Ngo is
definitely not the most common surname. I think it's Njoya which is my mother's
name and the name of our current king.
"Well this map is obviously not true for Cameroon, there are
like 200 ethnic groups and we don’t have the same names.
Also I kinda like the name Njoya."
**
thewaterworks
Sep 20, 2020
#195
Nandi Wabazulu said:
We have Dlaminis in SA too lol It's a popular name in our
parts.
"Yes, I've seen that quite a bit! Minnie Dlamini and Jacob
Zuma's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Isn't it also the Swazi Royal Family's
name?
I also see Mokoena a lot!"
****
sweetlarissa, Sep 20, 2020
#196
Well this map is obviously not true for Cameroon, there
are like 200 ethnic groups and we don’t have the same names.
Also I kinda like the name Njoya.
"Right! Where are they getting information from lol?
And thanks, I kinda wish it was my surname."
**
CelinaMyers, Sep 20, 2020
#197
AwonOshi said:
It is an Islamic name. My mother is Yoruba and her
brothers name is Ibrahim. There are plenty Ibrahims in my family and we are not
Hausa.
"Ibrahim is not islamic. It‘s arabic for Abraham."
**
thewaterworks, Sep 20, 2020
#200
AwonOshi said:
I KNOW it is an Arabic name. It relates to Islam
(Islamic), I do not see Christians using the name.
"Christians def use it (I know quite a few Northern Nigerian
Christians with the last name), since Abraham is an significant figure in
Christianity, Judaism and Islam"
**
Rhaenyra Martell, Sep 20, 2020
#201
NilaBGCa said:
True and Tavares or Mendes would be close seconds instead
of Lopes to be honest
-snip-
This comment refers to Cape Verde.
**
Killian_Ivory, Sep 20, 2020
#206
"Kone is probably accurate but I would have guessed Koffi,
Kouame, or Coulibaly for Ivory Coast"
**
bebelala, Sep 20, 2020
#208
Killian_Ivory said:
What is the ethnic group of the Kone in Mali?
**
Lapuissance, Sep 20, 2020
#210
AwonOshi said:
Mensah is so accurate for Ghanaians and Kamara for Sierra
Leonians. Every other Sierra Leonian I come across has the name Kamara, Koroma
or Conteh.
-snip-
In a subsequent comment (#213) Lapuissance indicated that
she was referring to the Gambia. She also added “I know some Tanzanians with the surname Kamara also”
Lapuissance, Sep 20, 2020
#212
Nandi Wabazulu said:
A lot of African names/words sound Asian so it's ok.
**
Lapuissance, Sep 20, 2020
#214
Killian_Ivory said:
Kone is probably accurate but I would have guessed Koffi,
Kouame, or Coulibaly for Ivory Coast
"I thought Keita would be accurate for Mali."
**
Killian_Ivory, Sept. 20, 2020
#215
Lapuissance said:
I thought Keita would be accurate for Mali.
"Yea I thought so too. All the mandingue names i see here are also very popular in Ivory Coast. But Kone, Coulibaly, Ouattara, are the most popular. By the way Kone/Conde/Conteh/Kante are the same but spelled differently depending on the region."
****
Lapuissance, Sept. 20, 2020
#216
"I know, Mandingue surnames are the same all over west
Africa.
**
Killian_Ivory, Sept. 20, 2020
#217
"Yea, the french spelling is Cisse, same in Mali, Senegal,
and Guinee."
****
AwonOshi, Sep. 20, 2020
#219
"And in Sierra Leone it is Sesay"
**
bebelala, Sep 20, 2020
#228
So Malinke and Bambara in Mali usually have different
names? Or is it just that some mandingue names are more popular in one than the
other?
"Bambara broke off from the rest of the Mandinka to have
their own kingdom. So yes they will be different names. Names like Coulibaly,
Diarra, Traore, Bamba are traditionally Bambara but with wars, migration,
marriages and all in modern times you have some with names like Traore who are
Soninke or Diarra that are Bobo."
****
paradise55, Sep 20, 2020
#229
"Interesting and strange the only countries with
the common name being a European name is the Portuguese colonies."
**
Killian_Ivory, Sep 20, 2020
#231
SnakeWithHands [new name: Bebelala] said:
Bambara broke off from the rest of the Mandinka to have their own kingdom.
So yes they will be different names. Names like Coulibaly, Diarra, Traore,
Bamba are traditionally Bambara but with wars, migration, marriages and all in
modern times you have some with names like Traore who are Soninke or Diarra
that are Bobo.
"Interesting, thanks for the info, I had no idea. Bamba is
popular in the Bafing and Worodougou regions in the Ivory Coast, but also
Diomande, Bakayoko, Soumahoro, Haidara, Meite, Timite, Dosso, Keita, Konate,
and Fofana. But I thought that Bamba, Diomande, Meite, and Soumahoro were
only Malinke names specific to the Ivory Coast. The other are fairly widespread
across IVC and countries with Malinke/Bambara populations."
**
Melanin2019
Sep 20, 2020
#235
UnderstatedBri said:
Mensah, means 3rd Born
"Yep and the female equivalent is Mansa. My gran has the
sure name Mensah on paper but her age mates affectionately call her Mansa"
****
Farashalady, Sept 20, 2020
#236
Killian_Ivory said:
Interesting, thanks for the info, I had no idea. Bamba is popular in the Bafing
and Worodougou regions in the Ivory Coast, but also Diomande, Bakayoko,
Soumahoro, Haidara, Meite, Timite, Dosso, Keita, Konate, and Fofana. …
**
Farashalady, Sep 20, 2020
#237
AwonOshi said:
And in Sierra Leone it is Sesay
"Yes Sesay is very common. Along with Kamara, counteh,
Mansaray, koroma"
**
bebelala, Sept 20, 2020
#238
Killian_Ivory said:
Interesting, thanks for the info, I had no idea. Bamba is
popular in the Bafing and Worodougou regions in the Ivory Coast, but also
Diomande, Bakayoko, Soumahoro, Haidara, Meite, Timite, Dosso, Keita, Konate,
and Fofana. But I thought that Bamba, Diomande, Meite, and Soumahoro were only
Malinke names specific to the Ivory Coast. The other are fairly widespread
across IVC and countries with Malinke/Bambara populations.
Yes with the exception of Bamba i never came across those names in Mali. I also think that Malinke groups in IC add or change the names a bit. For example, I have seen Diarrasouba in IC but never in mali, turn out its still Diarra but unique to IC"
**
Killian_Ivory, Sept 20, 2020
#240
[This comment is in responds to comment #238]
"Yeaa there are definitely modifications, i read somewhere
that Soumahoro/Soumaoro is actually another spelling for Soumangourou (as in
Soumangourou Kante) and that Guineans just cut it to Soumah, and also the
Diomande descend from the Camara, Camara is actually popular and widespread in
Ivory Coast too, but many are from the Zanzan region in the Northeast....
Is there any Fadiga/Fatiga in Mali too? They are also from
the Bafing (Northwest) but never heard of the name beyond our borders.”…
****
wanderlustem Sep 20, 2020
#242
"Sierra Leonean font adding to the convo. Current borders are
in a sense artificial and the result of colonialism. There is overlap in our
indigenous groups and this is reflected in our names. I’ll show the Sierra
Leonean version of names mentioned with the Francophone equivalent:"
Bah = Ba
Jalloh = Diallo/Jallow
Tarawally/Tarawallie = Traore
Conteh/Kanneh/Corneh = Kone
**
bebelala, Sep 20, 2020
#243
Killian_Ivory said:
…Is there any Fadiga/Fatiga in Mali too? They are also
from the Bafing (Northwest) but never heard of the name beyond our borders.
"Yes, Fadiga exist in Mali, it's Soninke origin."
**
wanderluste, Sep 20, 2020
#244
SnakeWithHands [Bebelala] said:
Yes, Fadiga exist in Mali, it's Soninke origin.
"
**
Zahungscyn, Sep 20, 2020
#246
"IDK about the Cameroonian one. Ngo is not necessarily a last
name, it means the daughter of, and it comes from the bassa tribe. So let's say
your father's name is Williams, the daughter will be named
"Ngo
Williams" "
**
Killian_Ivory, Sep 20, 2020
#247
wanderluste said:
We say “Fadika” in Sierra Leone.
Btw, one of my great grandfather is from Sierra Leone, he
came to IVC before the 1940s, his family name was Sawyer, we think he was prob.
Krio, but we ain't 100% sure, is the surname Sawyer exclusively Krio? Or other
groups can actually carry that name?"
**
wanderluste, Sept 20, 2020
#248
[This comment is written in response to comment #247]
"We’re all connected! Yes, Sawyer is Krio only."
****
MsDriven, Sep 20, 2020
#251
Tsegawin said:
Never heard of anyone in Eritrea with the last name
"Ali", unless they're Muslim and even then, most Eritreans I know
have a traditional tigrinya last name and not a Muslim one. I don't believe
this list on that one. For the other countries I can't speak on them.
I agree Ali isn't that common. I'd have thought Osman, Ibrahim, Idris, or Ahmed to be more popular."
**
Farashalady, #252
[This comment is written in response to #247]
"Sawyer, he was most likely Krio. Being that Krio people are descendants of
freed American slaves and Nigerians (Yoruba) you will often see them with
British or Nigerian names"
**
Awon Oshi, Sept 20, 2020
#253
[This comment is written in response to #247]
"Also Turay which is a Sierra Leonean name. I believe it is
similar to Traore and Touré."
**
wanderluste, Sept. 20, 2020
#254
AwonOshi said:
Also Turay which is a Sierra Leonean name. I believe it
is similar to Traore and Touré
**
Stonecold, Sept. 20, 2020
#255
paradise55 said:
Interesting and strange the only countries with the
common name being a European name is the Portuguese colonies.
"The Portuguese were the first Europeans in Africa and what
is now Angola was ruled as a direct colony of Portugal for about 400 years.
Independence didn’t come until the 70s"
**
Lallam, Sep 26, 2020
#261
"Ngo is not a last name."
****
khoco, Oct 14, 2020
#264
"SA is correct. Nkosi, Dlamini, Ndlovu, Khumalo are the top 4".
****
This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
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